Rayearth Wing: Series Two: Steel Hearts
by Ranma Inverse
Summary: ^^; Um,..Here's a sequel series to Give Me A Reason Why, only this time in the Gundam pilots realistic world! Read and Review please! UPDATED FINALLY! CHAPTER FIFTEEN AND MADE SO YOU CAN READ CHAPTER TEN, THE BEST CHAPTER OF ALL! Chapter Ten rules! *.*
1. Steel Hearts Opening

**Opening**

**Story By Ranma Inverse**   
**Original Rayearth Series by Clamp**   
**Original Gundam Wing Series by Whoevertheheckmadeit.**   
**Series Opening: Steel Hearts**   
*Curtains fall back, and music begins.* 

_Even If I love you to death,_   
(Duo appears walking down the sidewalk of an empty street, it's dark and the stars are shining.)   
_you may only realize 1/3 of my feelings,_   
(Hikaru, who currently is seen as a small chibi-sd figure, runs after Duo.)   
_my pure emotions are swinging wide,_   
(She tries to catch up to him, but only manages to pull on his braid.)   
_My heart cannot even say "I love You."_   
(Duo turns chibi-sd, swings around and glares at her, and begins to chase her as she fights to hide a smile.)   
_Long sleepless nights express my feelings towards you,_   
(The sleeping quarters of the lab show an empty room with only a small make-shift bed and Hikaru staring at the ceiling.)   
_It whispers, "This is the love."_   
(Scene switches to where the rest of the cast sleeping in sleeping bags, in chibi-sd form.)   
_My shaky heart kept talking to me endless._   
(Morning arrives, and Hikaru walks to the sleeping group, she bends down to put her hand on Duo's shoulder, then stands up straight, closing her eyes, and then smiling.)   
_But it'll change to sigh with a slight fever._   
(Hikaru shouts at the top of her lungs: "GOOD MORNING!" )   
_Give Me Smile and Shine days,_   
(Hikaru chases after Duo, who is running away.)   
_with your smile!_   
(Hikaru stops, smiles, and continues running.)   
_I can survive from the freezing cold night._   
(Scene switches to one of Duo sitting in a tree branch, looking out at the moon behind him.)   
_Even If I love you to death,_   
(Another scene switch, and Duo is talking to the rest of the group, Hikaru standing a little seperated from the rest.)   
_you may only realize 1/3 of my feelings,_   
(She keeps her eyes on Duo, who doesn't notice she's looking at him.)   
_my pure emotions are swinging wide,_   
(Hikaru runs over to him and pulls on his braid, causing him to yelp in pain and chase her.)   
_My heart cannot even say "I love you."_   
(As Hikaru is chased by Duo, Umi's hand is being help by Wufei, and Fuu's by Quatre.)   
_Like rain in the middle of summer,_   
(Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru run in the rain through a grassy meadow.)   
_Your shiny smile makes my dry skin moisten._   
(Quatre, Wufei, and Duo chase after them.)   
_Give me smile and shine days,_   
(The girls laugh, and the scene switches.)   
_Don't look prim suddenly._   
(Hikaru's eyes look slightly blank.)   
_I'll clear everything no matter what it takes_   
(Duo blinks, unsure why she seems so unemotional_._)   
_Even if I love you to death,_   
(Hikaru runs towards Duo to say something, then changes her mind and pulls on his braid.)   
_you may only ever realize 1/3 of my feelings,_   
(Duo turns around and chases her.)   
_my pure emotions are swinging wide,_   
(Hikaru laughs and turns around, smiling.)   
_my heart cannot even say "I love you."_   
(Duo blinks, then pulls on her braid to get revenge.)   
_My heart..._   
(Scene fades out as Duo runs away and Hikaru chases him till the fade out.) 

  



	2. Steel Hearts, Chapter One

**Steel Hearts**   
Part One   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It had been a month since the events of the crisis before had ended, and Umi Ryuuzaki, Fuu Houji, and Hikaru Shidou were again back at the towers to meet, but for a slightly different reason. 

"He promised he'd come!"   
"Wufei BETTER come or i'll find him myself and fence his butt to smitherenes!" Umi growled, leaning on a pillar that helped hold up the ceiling. Fuu smiled as Hikaru paced up and down, five steps, turn, seven steps, turn, five steps, turn, seven steps, turn...   
"Hikaru, you seem nervous."   
Hikaru blinked and stopped her pacing immediately, then smiled nervously. "Oh no! I'm not nervous at all!"   
Umi and Fuu gave her a look.   
"a little..."   
Fuu's eyes became serious.   
"Alot..."   
Fuu and Umi smiled and clapped. "It's true then!" They exclaimed at the same time. Umi bounced to Hikaru's left side as Fuu went to the right.   
"You have a crush on Duo!"   
Hikaru blinked and screeched. "**_I DO NOT!!!!!"_**

"Hikaru there is nothing wrong with you feeling that way for someone." Fuu spoke reasonably.   
Hikaru glared at the floor, but was embarrassed inside. "I don't have a crush on Duo!" She turned to both Umi and Fuu.   
"_YOU'RE_ the one who likes the prejudice gay man, and _YOU_, Fuu, are the one who loves the s_weet, kind, gentle _Quatre!"   
Fuu blushed and Umi sputtered.   
"I SOOOOO DO NOT!" yelled Umi. "WE'RE JUST GOOD FRIENDS!" 

"Who's just good friends with you?" A familiar chinese voice spoke, and they looked up to see Wufei, Duo, Quatre, and two other boys behind them. 

"Ehhhhh?!" Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru jumped back in suprise. Duo smiled and winked at the three girls.   
"Nice to see you guys again!" He said as Quatre walked to Fuu, and shook her hand while saying hello the three of them all. Wufei put and arm around Umi's waist, blushing profusely, and glared at Duo.   
"He dared me to do this..." He murmured to Umi as she blushed and her eyes went wide, then they both sent death glares at Duo, who pretended not to notice and walked in front of Hikaru. 

"...Heya."   
"Hi."   
"...."   
"....TAKE THIS BRAIDED BAKA!" Hikaru yelled jokingly and tugged on Duo's braid, stealing the hair tie, and running off.   
"COME BACK HERE!" Duo yelled, and chased after her, as the two other boys just stood there silently and sweatdropped. 

Hikaru ran back and stood in front of the two silent boys. "So who're you two?"   
"...." They both answered. The dark haired boy looked at Duo. "Why did you want to bring us here?" 

Duo stopped running as he skid anime-style and ended beside Hikaru. "Well...I thought you might want to meet Umi, Fuu, n' Hikaru" 

The light brown haired boy raised an eyebrow. "We skipped a mission...to meet three girls?"   
Quatre looked up from talking with Fuu and smiled at the red haired boy. "Don't get mad Trowa, but we promised our friends that we'd visit them again, so here we are." 

Trowa looked out the window and said no more. Duo sweatdropped and turned to them. "Well, these two silent-types are Trowa Barton and..." He pointed to the red haired boy and then to the dark haired one, but the dark haired boy interrupted. "Heero Yuy, it's a pleasure." He held out his hand, and Hikaru stepped away from Heero. Hikaru turned so her back was to them and ran off. 

Fuu and Umi took a step towards Hikaru as she ran. "Hikaru!" The shouted in question. Duo blinked and stared as the red figure disappeared down stairs. Wufei and Quatre stood by Fuu and Umi, looking rather confused. 

"I'll go see what's up with her." 

-------- 

Hikaru ran down the stairs and across the hall, opening a door, running through it, slamming the door, and falling to the floor, shaking. "He..." Hikaru shook her head, her voice shook with fear and she leaned on the wall. 

Steps began to become louder, then stopped, and the door opened. "Hika-chan, you okay?" Duo's voice. Hikaru didnt dare look up. 

"Those eyes of his...like ice...looked so miserable...worse than Lantis's..." Hikaru's voice shook with fear. Duo sighed and sat down next to her. The lantis ordeal had hurt Hikaru alot, it was no wonder anything that resembled Lantis would make her afraid.   
  
_ Is it wrong to feel?_

_ I don't think so..._

_ Dreams deserve to fly!_

_The cold night._

_ I am standing by the warm death,_

_ is it warmth, or an illusion?_

_ I thought death was supposed to be cold,_

_ is there something wrong with how I feel?_

_ Death has no heart, or so I have been told._

_ Cold Night._

_ I feel death's embrace,_

_ And I bury my face in his shirt._

_ I want to feel warm again,_

_ Do you understand...How I feel?_

_ And here comes the rain._

_ Cold Night._

_ Can't you see, the blackness enveloping,_

_ keeping me warm,_

_ I cant help to shiver from what i'm feeling._

_ Cold Night._

_ Shining light above me,_

_ I'm afraid to say i've already been taken,_

_ by the night,_

_ by the arms of my warm death._

-End of Part One...- 


	3. Steel Hearts, Chapter Two

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Two   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Hikaru blinked and hid in her shell. "So why do you care?"   
In almost an instant arms wrapped around her and held her gently. Hikaru blinked, her eyes going wide. "Wh-wha?!" 

"Hika-chan. Quit running away and stand for once." Duo's voice was soothing, but Hikaru shook her head. 

"No! No! Everytime I don't run away it happens!"   
"What?"   
"You know..."   
"No I don't."   
"Yes you do."   
"No I don't."   
"...."   
"Hikaru, talk to me."   
"...I'm fine!" Hikaru jumped up and forced a smile, and Duo fell for it. (As usual. Believing fake smiles! >.> ~R.I. ) Duo stood up, and took her hand.   
"Now lets go back, okay?" Hikaru blinked, and nodded, somewhat reluctantly. _Always believing those fake smiles. Easy to fool!_ Hikaru thought. At least she didn't have to worry about him worrying now, and if he didn't believe something was wrong, neither would the others. 

------------------------------ 

"Do you think something happened? They're taking awhile, maybe Duo has found her yet?" Worried Fuu. Heero leaned on one of the pillars and stared at the stairs Hikaru had run down. 

She would prove to be an interesting adversary. Adversary? Enemy? Until proved otherwise. Heero looked to Trowa who was also looking down the steps. 

"You don't normally have that affect on people, Heero." He murmured. "Maybe a little fear intimidation, but not so much that someone runs away." 

Duo then appeared from the stairs, behind him Hikaru. When the neared Heero she stopped and stared at the ground. "Hikaru? Say Hi to Heero." Duo took her hand and made it move from side to side, waving to heero.   
"hi" her voice was below a whisper, only Duo heard her. He picked her up and set her in front of Heero, keeping her there.   
"Say hello to Heero, properly!"   
Hikaru didn't look up. "Hello. I'm H-Hikaru Sh-shidou." Heero made no movement, but stood up straight.   
"I'm sure I've told you my name already, if you don't have something else to say in front of me, go away." 

Hikaru would normally have gotten angry, but in front of this guy...Hikaru felt like running until she was nine planet's away from him. Heero turned and walked away. "There is no point in this, I'm leaving." 

  
Duo blinked and scratched the back of his head. "Uhm...sorry about that." Hikaru blinked and looked up, shivered, and then walked happily over to Trowa.   
"Hello Mr. Silent!"   
"...Hi."   
Hikaru blinked, there was something about him, too, but it didn't scare her. She poked his forehead, kind of shy, feeling embarrased to do this, but she did so anyway. "You're eyes."   
Trowa blinked. _This guy needs to be cheered up, mission accepted! Whee!_ Hikaru thought and smiled cheerfully. "They look miserable! You need to smile so they shine!" The group sweatdropped. 

Duo smiled. Trowa needed a friend, but he felt kind of irritated without Hikaru trying to tease him or something. He watched as Fuu and Quatre talked politely together, Wufei and Umi fought in arm wrestling, and Hikaru trying to make Trowa smile. 

Finally Hikaru grabbed Trowa and swung him around in circles three times. "Get dizzy Trowa-chan! Get very dizzy and laugh!"   
"..."   
Hikaru snapped her fingers and animestyle she appeared in a sherlock holmes outfit. "It seems we have a very serious case here, Shin Shin Shooga Shooga Boom Boom!"   
  
"Nani?" The group blinked.   
"It's my nikki name for Duo to annoy the hell out of him!" Cheered Hikaru, and tugged on Duo's braid. "CHOO CHOO TRAIN!!!!" She yelled and was soon chased after by Duo! 

--End of Part Two: Hm....getting a little short for good chapters, huh? I guess I'll try to make them longah!-- 


	4. Steel Hearts, Chapter Three

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Three   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The group had visited a resturaunt by now, and were walking out of the resturaunt when Heero appeared from a corner they were about pass. 

"Heero?" Duo blinked. Hikaru took a step behind Duo and peeked out from behind. Heero's unemotional face pointed behind him. 

"Mission. Let's go." Hikaru blinked. Mission? Let's go?   
"Mission on what? Go where?" Umi asked. 

Heero ignored them. "Duo, Quatre, Wufei, Trowa. Let's go."   
Fuu interupted. "Five boys, about to leave on a mission, what for I have an idea. Five boys, five gundams, five gundam pilots."   
Heero sharply turned around and glared at her. 

Quatre blinked and walked next to Heero. "Don't get upset, they should know. After all, if they told, we'd tell people about what they "say" they are."   
"What we say we are? You wouldn't think people'd believe that, would you?" Umi said.   
"Well, if we said that you claim to be what you are, then they'd take you to an asylum."   
"Quatre, you wouldn't!" Fuu gasped.   
"...you're right. I wouldn't!" Quatre scratched the back of his head nervously. 

Hikaru poked Trowa. "You still don't say anything."   
"..."   
"It's nice to talk to you too." Hikaru smiled and playfully hit Trowa across the back, then skipped next to Duo and glared at Heero. "If you're going on a mission with Duo and the rest, we're coming too!" 

Duo murmured. "You can't cast magic here..." Unfortunately for him, Hikaru heard and she smacked him. 

"BAKA! You think girls can't help without magic or something!? I can use a sword and I'm pretty good at not being caught when spying..." She drifted off under Heero's glare, then glared back. 

"THE FEELINGS MUTUAL SILENT MAN!" Hikaru yelled and turned around, then smiled. "Let's go!" 

Duo and the other pilots sweatdropped. "How did we get into this again?" Wufei murmured. 

The magic knights giggled. 

------------------ 

They reached Proffessor J (I forgot which one it was actually, but I mean the one with the mechanical attachment for one of his hands.)'s lab Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were staying close behind the pilots. Fuu and Quatre were holding hands though, because Fuu had looked so nervous. 

"Nice....interior." Hikaru commented as they walked down a hall with metal walls. When they reached a group of doors Duo opened one and walked through it. 

"What is he doing?" Hikaru put her hand on the door knob.   
"That's a room you can't go into." And the other pilots walked in, Quatre saying before he closed the door.   
"Sorry, I'll explain later." 

...Three hours later. Hikaru had begun to kick the metal wall angrily, Fuu was asleep leaning on the wall, sitting on the floor, and Umi was deciding which sword techinique to kill the boys with when they came back.   
"THEY JUST LEFT US HERE!!!" Umi yelled. 

_BOOM!_

Umi and Hikaru fell to the floor and Fuu woke up as the ground shook as Five small-seemingly earthquakes occured one after the other.   
"Ow, Ow, _Ow_, Ow, _ITAI_! BRAIDED BAKA YOU DIE WHEN YOU COME BACK!" Hikaru yelled. 

Duo's head popped through the door. "What was that?"   
A 50 ton mallet appeared out of thin air and Hikaru smacked Duo with it. "BAKA! YOU LEFT US HERE FOR THREE WHOLE HOURS!" 

"We just went on a mission without you guys...no need to get worked up!" Wufei walked over an unconscious Duo and leaned on the wall, when Umi glared at him. Fuu just blinked. 

"Where's Quatre? It wasnt a mission where someone got hurt, was it? QUATRE'S OKAY RIGHT?!" Fuu's voice rose.   
"I'm fine!" Quatre walked over Duo as well, and leaned on the wall next to Fuu. "Don't worry so much." 

Hikaru helped Duo up and he came to. "Ow...My head hurts." He flinched.   
"Serves you right." Hikaru glared then looked at the others. "So! What'd ya do?" 

Quatre explained about the room and how it was where their Gundam's were kept and through the door on the left was where their sleeping quarters were, and on the two doors of the right were the other things. 

"...Of course, there's more than one lab like this that we can go to." Quatre finished. "And I think there's an extra room or two in the bedrooms..." 

Hikaru blinked and tilted her head. "Why can't we just go home?" 

"...Because." The pilots looked at the floor.   
"Because?"   
Heero spoke up, unemotional as always. "A new organization just bombed all around the area, this lab is underground..."   
The way they had gotten here was by opening a dirt covered trap door, and there was so much dirt over it you'd have to now exactly where the trapdoor was to find it.   
"So it wasn't affected, you wouldn't have felt any shakes, but the areas where they bombed...."   
"...Were where you guys lived." Duo cut in, his voice quiet. 

--End of Part three of Steel Hearts.-- 


	5. Steel Hearts, Chapter Four

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Four   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Hikaru's hands fell losely in the air, and she stared at Duo, or more so, stared at nothing at all. Her eyes began to sparkle with tears, and she fainted, tears streaming from her face to the floor. 

Fuu ran to Quatre and cried into his shirt, and he put his arms around her, trying to comfort her, While Umi shook her head, a few tears falling down her cheeks and she kept murmuring "It didn't happen, it didn't happen, it didn't happen, it didn't happen..." 

Wufei blinked, and to his own suprise, took Umi's hand and began walking out to takeher someplace. "Umi, here, i'll take you someplace where you can cry better." What? This was coming out of his own mouth? 

Quatre shyly took Fuu's hand, and took her out to a resturaunt, he told Duo that, at least, to try and take her mind off what had happened. 

Duo looked down at the fainted body on the floor and blinked. How was he supposed to take care of her? Duo shrugged and picked her up. He opened the door to the sleeping quarters and set her down on Quatre's bed long enough to make her a make-shift bed and put her in that. 

Umi and Fuu returned with Wufei and Quatre, and had gotten out of their shock. 

"How's Hikaru?" Umi's voice was softer, not as sharp as before.   
"She's still unconscious from fainting." Duo leaned on a wall. "I'm worried, but what could she possibly do?"   
Fuu sighed and looked at Duo. "Lots of things. She takes things harder than everyone else, but the bigger problem, is if she bottles it up. You've noticed the times where she says things without any happy undertone? That's when she's trying to give a tiny hint that somethings wrong, but then she goes back to trying to pretend she's happy. And I don't want her to go on like that. She'd just be like a puppet. You pick it up, and it's smiling at you, you set it down and walk away, and you don't know what it does." 

Umi blinked and sat down. "Even I've noticed that already."   
Fuu smiled. "I have a small idea...that might cheer her up if she does act like that..."   
"What's that?"   
"Have you ever noticed how moved she is by music? It looks like the song effects what thoughts she dwells on, and how she thinks about them. Maybe if we play a really happy song..." 

... 

It turned out Hikaru acted just like Fuu had feared, so they planned a date and time to take her to a place that Umi would rent with money from her parents bank. She had the information for it now that her parents had gone. "Just a nice beach house, ya know Hikaru? Won't the sea be nice?" Umi commented. 

Hikaru smiled at her. "It'll be fine" Umi couldn't tell if that smile was forced...or not. Why was it the more cheerful people took things harsher? Umi shook her head, and smiled. 

When they reached the beach house, they unloaded their car and put everything where it should be, then sat outside on the porch looking outwards towards the sea at a rounded wooden table with wicker chairs. 

Umi stretched her arms, trying to make everyone stop the silence. "Oooooo! This air is so great!" 

Tweet tweet...tweet tweet...   
....silence...   
And Hikaru still didn't blink as the air blew her bangs into her eyes facing the ocean. 

Duo smiled and stood up, grabbing Hikaru's hand. "Ah-ah--Nani?!" Hikaru blinked as he dragged her to the room leading to the porch, which had a CD player.   
"What's your favorite song?" Duo looked at the others, trying to get them to join in the efforts. The rest of them got up and rushed around Hikaru and Duo.   
"I know one to play Duo! Kareoke! How about that?"   
"Ehh?"   
"You know, plug the microphone into the CD player and sing a song with the music!"   
"Okay..."   
Umi smiled. "Great! Duo goes first!"   
"Oro?" Duo blinked. "Waitasec, I'm not going first!"   
"Duo! Pleaaase!" Umi glared at him.   
"okay..." 

... 

Hikaru was sitting on a lounge chair, Umi, Quatre, Wufei, and Fuu sat on a four-seater couch, and there was one lounge chair left, but Duo was standing and blinking, then he smiled. He pushed the play button on the CD player and flashed that grin that made him Duo.   
(Yes, for all you Duo fans, pull out your MP3 player and start playing that cheerful song...[Kitto OK][1]!) 

_"Chance encounter change even the future_   
_Believe in miracles Go on well_   
_It's gonna be OK!_

_There is only one thing anyone won't hand over_   
_Chances come only once Sieze them Tomorrow's too late_

_Forget the yesterday_   
_When you only clutch your knees Believe in yourself_

_Maybe you can go on well So go on well_   
_The chance is right before you_   
_It's all right It's surely OK!_   
_Maybe you can go on well So go on well_   
_For the endless dream_

_If you have fun even when under pressure_   
_It's gonna be OK!_

_There's only one rule Those who are scared are no good_   
_The gamble's only once Try putting life on the line_

_One only continues running on the rails for someone_   
_One ought not to settle for satisfaction_

_Always dreaming Never mind everything else_   
_I don't care if it's no good_   
_It's perfectly OK!_   
_Always dreaming Never mind everything else_

_When you only clutch your knees_   
_Answers won't be seen Believe in yourself_

_Maybe you can go on well So go on well_   
_The chance is right before you_   
_It's all right It's surely OK!_   
_Maybe you can go on well So go on well_   
_The chance is right before you_   
_It's all right It's surely OK!_

_Always dreaming Never mind everything else_   
_I don't care if it's no good_   
_It's perfectly OK!_   
_Always dreaming Never mind everything else_   
_Let's ride the waves I've waited for "_

Duo bowed, smiling. "Anyone wanna try to sing better than me?"   
Hikaru didn't move. Quatre saw this and raised his hand. "I'll go!" 

_"I'll tear a piece off the note pad,_   
_And give the scrap to you secretly,_   
_ "Try hard because you are not alone"._   
_ It's not easy to encourage you,_   
_ But I have to tell you because I'm your friend._   
_ I intentionally chose the class hour, to show my feelings,_   
_ A dream in love,_   
_ We're always groping in the dark for love._   
_ But even though we get hurt and fall,_   
_ Our future is always there._   
_ So hey, cheer up."_ __

Quatre smiled and Duo looked at Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru. Hikaru was smiling, but he wasn't sure if it was forced or not...until he pretended like he wasn't noticing and her smile wavered just slightly. "So does anyone else have any happy songs to sing?" Quatre smiled.   
Umi raised her hand: "I do!" **(This song was written by ME. Dangit, my first attempt at a happy song, DONT TAKE IT.)**

_"I love the seasons,_   
_winter, summer, spring, and fall!_   
_Why do you assume that I just,_   
_hate them all?_   
_Because I don't like any season without,_   
_a friend by my side to share them with!!!_   
_I love the seasons,_   
_winter, summer, spring, and fall!  
And I'm sure that I'll still love them all,_   
_Next year if you are there with me!_   
_Hai! Hai!_   
_Can't you see, you're the shining star that leads us to hope?  
Or are you too modest to notice? Huh?_   
_Well my friend,_   
_don't believe any of those jerks, who try to take you down,_   
_because in our eyes your a champion,_   
_I love the seasons,_   
_winter, summer, spring, and fall,_   
_because you told me,_   
_that you loved them,_   
_because your friends were with you all through them._   
_Now let's hop on,_   
_that wonderful dream of happiness!"_

Umi smiled. The wall in Hikaru's eyes looked like they were about to melt. Good! They were winning, she was going to get out of the depression, she stuffed the microphone into Duo's hand. "You get to sing one more!"   
"No!"   
"...If it'd be okay...why don't you all sing one together?..." Hikaru's voice shyly rose so they could hear her.   
Quatre, Umi, and Duo nodded in unison. "Hai!" 

Quatre & Duo: _"Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!_   
_ Believe in the shining of tomorrow."_   
Duo: "_Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!_   
_ Grab onto my hand and carry on."_   
Umi: _"We who just bumped shoulders and brushed past each other_   
_ Each in our own way, we'll search for tomorrow."_   
All Three: "_We'll meet again sometime_   
_ in the dreams you're searching for_   
_ as you face into the wind and i see your back_   
_ becoming small in the distance_   
_ [Good luck & good bye][2]."_   
Duo: _"Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!_   
_ Only meeting and parting, again and again_   
_ Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!_   
_ Carry on until you find the answer(s)."_   
Umi: _"Biting his lip hard_   
_ but not hard enough to hurt_   
_ He is staring off into the distance_   
_ And won't show his heart."_   
Quatre: _"I know it is up to me to fulfill my own dreams._   
_ So, to that smile of yours that lives again in my heart,"_   
All three:_ "Good luck and Good bye."_   
Duo: _"Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!_   
_ Believe in the shining of tomorrow._   
_ Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!_   
_ Grab onto my hand and carry on."_   
Quatre & Umi: _"Everybody, nice! Everybody, nice!_   
_ Only meeting and parting, again and again_   
_ Everybody, chance! Everybody, chance!_   
_ Carry on until you find the answer(s)."_   
All three: _"EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!_   
_EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!_   
_EVERYBODY, NICE! EVERYBODY, NICE!_   
_EVERYBODY, CHANCE! EVERYBODY, CHANCE!"_

Hikaru smiled and clapped, the wall melted. "Wai! That was great!" Umi and Quatre laughed, and Duo stared at Hikaru. What if he could, all by himself, make her smile like that...__

... 

  
  


A week had passed and the three girls had finally gotten better, but...they were still left when the three guys said they had to go somewhere. Finally, Hikaru was fed up with it. 

"They're nice, but they just keep where they go a secret! And they always leave through that door, too...I'm going to check out what's in that room sometime, okay Umi? Fuu?" She turned her head to see two snoring forms on two seperate beds as she sat on hers.   
  
Hikaru snuggled into her sheets and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts drifted back towards last week. At that beach house...the singing...had they been trying to cheer her up? She shrugged. It wasn't like they'd tell her anyway. Hikaru closed her eyes and fell asleep.   
  


--End of part four of Steel Hearts...See ya laters! ^.^-- 

Hikaru: Aw....*snffle* You guys are so sweet...   
Umi: Well we had to cheer you up, we don't want you to end up like Miaka!   
Hikaru: HEY!!!   
Fuu: Umi don't tease her too much.   
Quatre: Teasing isn't very good to do either way.   
Duo: Yes it is!!!   
Quatre: How?   
Duo: um...   
Wufei: Weak onna!--*pauses under Duo's death glare, more intense than Heero's* Um..I mean...nothing!   
Duo: That's what I thought!   
Hikaru: -.-() Instead of glaring just go and sing one of those songs again. n.n;;   
Duo: ...Oro?   
Hikaru: Okay! Bai everybody! *Waves* 

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/5701/gw/gw-k01.html
   [2]: http://members.tripod.com/~Kingdom_guy/songs/goodluck.htm



	6. Steel Hearts, Chapter Five

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Five   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Hikaru blinked as the morning light glinted through the windows and onto the walls. "Unh..." She murmured and turned in her bed. "Sleep more, 'wake later."

Hikaru sat up immediately, thinking. _GAH! Today was the day I was gonna check and see what was in that room of theirs..._   
__   
She shook her head. Looking up at the five sleeping forms of the gundam pilots, plus two, her two friends, each and all in seperate beds.

[Of course I had to type "each and all in seperate beds." Or else some hentai thinkin' person would be perverted.]

Hikaru left the room once she was dressed into suitable clothes for the day, and closed the door gently. What could be in there, anyway? Gundam pilots...maybe...She couldn't think of a thing. Gundams? In a lab like this? No way, they couldn't manage to fit five of 'em in here could the--

That thought stopped short as she opened the door and shut it, and managed to get a good look at what was in it. Metal, metal object, more metal, and...

Five Gundams. Shenlong, Zero, Deathscythe, Sandrock, and Heavyarms. _Nani...?_ Hikaru blinked.

Hikaru blinked as she looked down. This room had no gravity...she was in the air. She squinted her eyes shut and forced herself not to scream. She couldn't stand flying, she couldn't stand floating...not unless there was something underneath her feet!!!

Her head hit something and she blinked. Now she was face to face with the black gundam: Deathscythe. Blood red eyes wide open, she reached out a hand and put her palm over the gundam's left eye. "It's real...really here." Her voice shook a little. This was the thing that had killed so many people...these...these...Hikaru shook her head as she looked around. These..._things._ She kicked the metal black gundam. "BAKA!" She growled, as if talking to someone who could answer her.

"BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA!" She yelled, each time kicking the gundam so hard her foot would bruise.

"Your the baka reason people bombed my home! BAKA BAKA BAKA!!!" Her kicking slowed and she cried. No one was here to see her cry anyway, so it was alright.

When the tears ran dry, she wiped her eyes and glared at Deathscythe. She pushed herself away from the gundam, and floated over some wrenches and other tools. A very, very naughty thought crossed her mind.

She'd get revenge on this gundam! And then she'd get revenge on the other four gundams. She plucked a rusty wrench from the toolbox, and began her work.

. . .

Duo yawned as he woke up. Heero was shoving his shoulder into the wall trying to wake him up.   
"Wake up." Bang.   
"Ow."   
Bang. "Ow."   
Another bang. "OW! CANT YOU HEAR ME?! I'M UP HEERO!!!" Duo yelled and punched the emotionally deprived pilot in the face.

"Good, now go wake the others up, Proffessor J has a new mission for us." Heero pointed to the file on his labtop. "Mission accepted." He walked out of the room.

Duo proceeded to wake the others up, with Fuu and Umi watching, when they tried to leave the room, Umi and Fuu blocked their path. "This time we're coming with you." Umi looked at them regally, daring them to say otherwise.   
"If Umi goes, then I will go as well. Hikaru must have gone to eat breakfast already."

[Actually she fell asleep trying to sabotage Duo's gundam, and she's asleep in the cockpit behind the pilots chair.]   
  
Wufei snorted. "Fine, maybe you can work your..." He made little movements with his fingers. "Magic." He said spitefully. "To save us."

"WELL MAYBE I WILL!" Shouted Umi. The others were taken aback and sweatdropped.   
"Okay...let's just go. Fuu can go in my gundam." Quatre said.   
"Che, Umi'll be in mine then, weak onna's need protection." Wufei said, soon to be hit over the head with a mallet by Umi.

All the pilots jumped into their gundams, Duo not realizing there was a slumbering person behind his seat, and set off.

Che...some people can sleep through anything.

. . .

"DUO! Why aren't you attacking them with us?!" Quatre shouted through the intercom.   
"I dunno what's wrong! Deathscythe isn't doing anything I tell it to except 'move'!" Duo shouted back. "And even so it's getting harder everytime I move it!" He dodged another round of ammunition from one of the Oz mobile suits.

"Unh...hrm?" A voice behind him said. Duo's head darted back.   
"HIKARU?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY GUNDAM?!"   
Hikaru glared at him. "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOUR FIGHTING! BAKA!"

Sweatdrops from the pilots in the other gundams. "Hikaru...is in Duo's gundam?"   
Umi spoke through the intercom. "Good girl, Hikaru! What'd ya do to the gundam?"   
"Hm..." Hikaru grinned. "I fell asleep before I managed to spray it pink." She joked, not serious.   
"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Shouted Duo, still dodging attacks from the mobile suits.   
"Oh wouldn't I?" Hikaru joked still, sticking her tongue out at him. "It's your own fault for not making sure your gundam's opening was locked."

Duo was about to reply, but from the distraction Hikaru had caused, without realizing she had distracted him, the gundam didnt manage to block an eighth round of ammunition! The gundam began to malfunction even more than before, flying everywhere. Hikaru clinged to Duo's chair.   
  
"Eeeee!!" Hikaru screamed.   
"Just let me fly the damn thing!" Duo yelled over her screams, and flew, far, far away from the battle.   
"Numbskull what about the others?!" Hikaru shouted.   
"I can't control what it's doing!" He shouted, and they both shut up as a few things fell from the gundam.   
"Um...were those needed?" Hikaru stared.   
"...Oh yeah,.....we're dead." Duo stated flatly. Those were the things that made the gundam able to "fly".   
  
Hikaru and Duo's screams filled the area as the gundam came crashing down to earth.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"   
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Amethyst eyes and blood-red eyes both were wide as they crashed into the ground. Luckily, Hikaru's tight grip on the pilots seat worked like a seatbelt, except for when her head jerked back into the metal of the gundam, causing the back of her head to bleed. "Itai!"

Duo unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at her. "You alright?"   
Sweatdrop. Numbskulled baka! "I'm fine!" She lied, rubbing the back of her sore head, feeling the blood, and praying it would heal before Duo noticed.

"Ano...are you alright Duo?" Hikaru tried to mask the concern in her voice.   
"Fine." Few...   
  
"Where are we?" Hikaru blinked as a few sheep sniffed at the gundam and frolicked away.   
"No idea...maybe somewhere noone lives....hopefully."

--End of Part Five...^.~ See ya at part six.--


	7. Ending from Chapters One to Five

**Ending**

**Story By Ranma Inverse**   
**Original Rayearth Series by Clamp**   
**Original Gundam Wing Series by Whoevertheheckmadeit.**   
**Series Ending: Steel Hearts, ending for parts 1-5**

(This song actually is a gundam wing song, blah blah, you get the picture.)   
Ranchan: Yeah yeah, you get the picture, this is supposed to make you reflect on what's happened in the series...~.~...   
(Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru walk up on a stage.)__

Fuu: _Because the weather is nice, you suddenly called me, then_   
_You made me wait in vain, unsure of your intentions_   
Umi: _You know I ran to get here, so_   
_ there'd better be a good reason for this!_   
Hikaru:_ * Just Love! You insensitive jerk_   
_ I'm mean to you, but I love you!_   
_ Just Love! Because my feelings are always changing_   
_ It's impossible for me to say_   
_ Wait--I'm sorry..._   
_ ...Just Love..._   
Fuu: _Today I ran from your arms as you were taking me to dinner_   
Umi:_ Starving, I went home, to wait for a souvenir_   
Fuu: _How could I, being so naive, defy you? Now it hurts to meet your gaze!_   
Hikaru:_ Just Love! Because only a little of_   
_ the brightness in my eyes remains, I'll never forgive you!_   
_ Just Love! Because what I keep in my heart_   
_ Shouldn't taste so bitter, should it?_   
_ ...Just Love..._

_* repeat_


	8. Steel Hearts, Chapter Six

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Six   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Where are we?" Hikaru blinked as a few sheep sniffed at the gundam and frolicked away. 

"No idea...maybe somewhere noone lives....hopefully." Duo replied. 

"Well...let's go and look around then." Hikaru turned to the exit as Duo grabbed her arm. "Itai! That hurts!" 

"Exactly how and why did you mess Deathscythe up?" Duo's eyes looked...angry. Very, very, angry. "Tell me, now." 

"I just played around with a wrench from a toolbox...that was all." Hikaru answered, looking unafraid of the angry expression the braided pilot wore.   
"To mess him up takes_ a lot_ more than just a wrench." Duo's voice rose. He, still firmly keeping his grip on Hikaru's arm, exited the gundam and went around to the back of Deathscythe, where it looked like some of the metal had been melted through and messed up the gears. 

"HIKARU!!! How could you do this?!" 

"..." was the reply. 

"Answer me!" He shook her, Hikaru didn't flinch nor blink, just blankly stared at it.   
"What do you think I would do to one of the five things that caused the death of my friend's families and my family." She spoke in a dead voice.   
"Wha..." Duo stopped. It was true. He let his grip on Hikaru's arm slowly lessen until his hand dropped to the ground. The officers had bombed around those areas because three of the gundam pilot's labs were there, those three which had been discovered. Duo looked at the ground. He hadn't thought Hikaru would blame the gundams.   
But it was true, it was their fault. In her eyes, and in his. 

"...sorry." 

Blink. Blink. Hikaru stared as Duo went on after a deep breath. "I didn't think it would hurt you, Umi, or Fuu all that much. I've killed lots of people. I thought you had done that too, enough so that one life doesn't hurt as much as it does to others." 

Hikaru glared at him. "..." 

"But I guess a family hurts more than just killing someone." 

"You GUESS?! Don't you have a family?!" 

"..." Duo looked up at her. "...No. I don't. I never did." 

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Of course you did, that's how people're born, baka." 

"That's not what I mean! I never knew my parents." 

Hikaru's gaze softened and stopped meeting Duo's eyes. "Oh." 

"Quatre's father was killed by oz organization, but he still has sisters. Trowa has Catherine Bloom, a circus preformer, Wufei I don't know about, dunno about Heero either, but I think they'd have had somewhere or something to go to if they hadn't piloted the gundams. After the Maxwell Church was destroyed, I lost everything. It was the only thing I could do." 

"You lived in a church? Oh...does that mean you're a believer of god?" Hikaru asked. 

"I don't think there is a "_god_" like others say, I only believe that there's a god of death." 

"...oh." 

"Don't tell me you believe that crap." 

"No, I don't. But I think...I think god is a figure that helps people be better people. He's an imaginary figure that people look up to, He might be real, he might not be. I just think of god as a symbol of everyone." 

"Pfft." Duo's hands went into his pockets and he turned around. "Well we should look around for a place to stay or somethin." 

"Right." Hikaru's voice was small. Had she hurt him? 

. . . 

The two walked down a barren road, silence looming over them. Duo looked down at Hikaru, seeing a smile still on her face even after the recent incident. A small breeze brushed past them and Duo stopped. "Hey..."   
  
Hikaru blinked, turning around, and smiled. "What is it?"   
"Don't you ever get tired of smiling almost all the time?"   
"Nani...what do you mean?" Hikaru sank into the shell of ignorance. It was one of the ways to protect herself.   
"You're almost always cheerful, and you always smile after anything, no matter what it is."   
Hikaru turned back around, her back now facing him, and continued on their path. "I'd rather always be cheerful, never without a smile, than let doubts fill my mind and make me horrible. I'd rather always live like a child than like an adult." She whispered, knowing he couldn't hear her. 

"HEY! WAIT UP!" The braided boy shouted and ran after her.   


. . .

They had managed to find a farm after walking about a mile, and Hikaru began wiping dust off everything with her hands, humming a tune. Duo on the other hand, went back to deathscythe to figure out how to move him or fix him so he could move him to the farm. He told Hikaru that he'd be back there when he had. 

Hikaru estimated he'd be back in a month. "What about oz? Won't they...if they fly over with a helicopter, be able to see it? It's rather large! Clumsy braided baka boy!" 

Duo crossed his arms and glared at her, then thought of the best possible comeback against her. "Well, well...isn't that sweet." 

Hikaru blinked. "Nani?" 

Duo smiled teasingly. "Aw...you shouldn't make it so obvious!" He lied. 

Hikaru began to realize what he was talking about, but still pretended to not know. Feigning ignorance was one of the few things she was best at. She was more observant than she let people think. "Nani? What obvious?" 

"You wuuv me!" Duo teased, grinning almost ear-to-ear because he was winning. 

Hikaru fought her blush. That jerk! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka! Trying to embarrass her! "I DO NOT!" She glared. 

"Do too!" 

"Do not!" 

"Do TOO!!!" 

"DO NOT!"   
"DO TOO!"   
"DO NOT!"   
"DO TOO, TOO, TOO, TOO!"   
"DO NOT, NOT, NOT! NOT! NOT! NOT! NOT!"   
"DO TOO FOR INFINITY!"   
"DO NOT FOR INFINITY TIMES TWO!"   
"CAN'T DO THAT!"   
"YES I CAN!"   
"CHEATER!"   
"I AM NOT A CHEATER GIRLY GIRL!"   
"I'M NOT A GIRL!"   
"YES YOU ARE!"   
"NO I'M NOT!"   
"YES YOU ARE!"   
"NO I'M NOT!"   
"YES YOU ARE!"   
"NO I'M NOT!"   
"YES YOU ARE!"   
"NO I'M NOT!"   
"No...you aren't, but I'm winning!" Hikaru grinned and stuck her tongue out.   
"You are not! It's a tie!"   
"No it isn't!"   
"YES IT IS!"   
"NO IT ISN'T!"   
"YES IT IS!"   
"IS NOT!"   
"IS TOO!"   
"IS NOT!"   
"IS TOO, TOO, TOO, TOO!" 

. . . 

After about an hour of that, Duo finally got on his way back to Deathscythe, and Hikaru leaned on the wall once he was out of earshot and began to sing a song she had begun to love and hate at the same time. 

"_Even If I love you to death,_   
_you may only realize 1/3 of my feelings,_   
_my pure emotions are swinging wide,_   
_My heart cannot even say "I love You."_   
_Long sleepless nights express my feelings towards you,_   
_It whispers, "This is the love."_   
_My shaky heart kept talking to me endless._   
_But it'll change to sigh with a slight fever._   
_Give Me Smile and Shine days,_   
_with your smile!_   
_I can survive from the freezing cold night._   
_Even If I love you to death,_   
_you may only realize 1/3 of my feelings,_   
_my pure emotions are swinging wide,_   
_My heart cannot even say "I love you."_   
_Your shiny smile makes my dry skin moisten._   
_Give me smile and shine days,_   
_Don't look prim suddenly._   
_I'll clear everything no matter what it takes_   
_Even if I love you to death,_   
_you may only ever realize 1/3 of my feelings,_   
_my pure emotions are swinging wide,_   
_my heart cannot even say "I love you."_   
_My heart..._" 

Hikaru's voice became quieter towards the end of the song, and she smiled sadly. "Baka." She whispered, and went back to dusting and fixing the farmhouse up.   


--End of part six...Okay I added a small peice, this part was supposed to help you think about Hikaru's mind...Duo's next. ^.~ And then...^.^ You'll see. And it does SO tie in with the story! Grrr! And...x.x...I HATE THAT SONG!-- 


	9. Steel Hearts, Chapter Seven

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Seven   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Duo yawned laying down on soft green grass beside the fallen Deathscythe. "This is beginning to get very long, and very boring". Where the hell to put this? At least the question was, how to move it. Maybe Hikaru's power would work...   
No, she probably wouldn't do that. So what _would work_? 

Sigh. "Where's a portable CD player when you need one." Duo yawned again and sat up. Or a gameboy... 

[Yeah, right. x.x Those were the only two things I could think of! Dun yell so loud! Dangit. x.X ] 

. . . 

"No sign of them...anywhere? You've checked?..."   
"Yes, we did. Umi, we're sorry. If they're fine they'll find a way back to us, so don't worry!"   
"DON'T WORRY?!"   
"Quatre how can we not worry?" Fuu sat in a chair and cleaned her glasses.   
"DON'T WORRY?! A GIRL. AND. A BOY. ALONE?! AND THEY HATE EACH OTHER TOO!!! THEY'LL EITHER KILL EACH OTHER OR HAVE A BABY!"   
"UMI RYUUZAKI! I doubt Mr. Maxwell would do any such thing."   
"Well he might..."   
"Umi, stop worrying."   
"But--"   
"STOP!" 

Wufei pointed a finger at a door. "I'll put her to bed." He took Umi's hand as she growled.   
"DON'T MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M A FIVE YEAR OLD!"   
"But you are."   
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"   
"I said you are a five year ol--" His voice stopped and a loud crash was heard. Several following the first, as well. 

"Poor Mr. Wufei." Fuu sighed.   
"Did you know that Chang is his first name?" Quatre pointed out, sitting at a chair opposite from her.   
"Chang? It seems a little weird, but it's nice." 

[Oh, THIS turned out educational....()...] 

. . . 

Duo looked around from the inside of Deathscythe's cockpit. "Alright...intercom...intercom." He pressed one or two buttons and a screen popped up. "HEY! QUATRE! WUFEI! 'YO!" 

Snore. "...mmmm...wake me up later." 

"...QUATRE WAKE UP!!!"   
"Huh?! Wha?! OH!" Quatre jerked up in his seat and looked around. He blinked and sweatdropped. "Ah! Duo! Gomen...you made everyone worry. Where's Hikaru?" 

"She's out in a farm. It's all we could find to stay in until you find us."   
"You don't know where you are?"   
"NO!"   
"We'll find you in a couple days."   
"WHAT?! YOU JUST FLY AROUND AND LOOK FOR A BIG BLACK THING STICKING OUT OF THE BUSHES! MY GUNDAM ISN'T THAT TINY!"   
"Unfortunately, for you."   
"I know. The oz or something might spot it. Which is why you have to find us quick!"   
"Right! Okay maybe I can get Umi and Fuu to help..." The intercom shut off. 

. . . 

"...It was fun at first, but this is getting tiring." Hikaru yawned, dusting the very last part of the farmhouse. "When the hell is Duo gonna come back anyways?" Hikaru narrowed her eyes. "The lazy bum, he's probably just snoozing off in Deathscythe!" 

A door opened, and an annoyed voice spoke. "I heard that." Duo said. 

"Ah! Duo!" Hikaru spun around, smiling. "Did you figure out how to fix this situation?"   
"No, but I got Quatre on the intercom and they're going to find us as soon as possible."   
"...Oh." Hikaru put her hands on her hips, looking extremely irritated.   
"What? That's good news!"   
  
**_WHAM!_****__**

****Hikaru stormed out of the room. "OZ MIGHT FIND US BY THEN!" 

Duo, under a now broken chair, moved slightly. "I...itai..." 

. . . 

Blah blah, one or two days pass, bah blah. 

Hikaru sulked, sitting at a table as Duo cooked food. 

"Duo--"   
"NO."   
"Why noooot?"   
"After the first day of you cooking, Im not sure I could live through another meal of yours!"   
"But if I practice I'll get better!"   
"NO!" Duo yelled, and continued cooking.   
  
A few minutes passed. 

"Duo..."   
"What?"   
"An apron would be fitting on you..."   
"ACK! NO!" 

Several minutes afterwards. 

Dinner was almost done and Duo was prepared to kill Hikaru. 

"What?"   
"I am going to kill you for making me wear this."   
"No you aren't."   
"Yes I am."   
"No you aren't."   
"Yes I am."   
"No you aren't, or else."   
"Or else what?"   
"Or else I give photo's of you in that pink apron to Heero and Trowa and Umi and Fuu and Quatre and Wufei ALL saying on the back of the photo that you're gay!" Hikaru smiled. 

"...Damnit." Duo grumbled. 

Hikaru giggled. "I love this. This is fun!" 

"..." Duo didn't speak, instead he put his cooking utensil's down and took the apron off. 

"...Duo?" Hikaru blinked at the serious expression on his face. 

"..." Duo stormed over to the door of the farmhouse and leaned into the wall next to it. 

"Duo? Duo! What's wrong?" Hikaru got out of her chair as the door burst open and five oz officers stormed in. 

Hikaru jumped back, and Duo stayed where he was, unseen by the officers so far. 

"Excuse me miss, but we found...a gundam near here. Are...you associated with them?" One of the officers raised their gun. 

"Why should I tell you? You busted into MY home, and then you act like it's no big deal!" Hikaru glared at them, a little flicker of light appearing in one of her palm's. 

The female officer curved her lips in a smile. "I say, you shouldn't be so disrespectful. Just for that I'll have to shoot you." 

The two officers furthest in the back fell as a crack of bones was heard, and Duo stood behind them. "Isn't it a little rude to shoot people that don't have to do with this?" Duo narrowed his eyes. 

The female officer's smile turned into a smirk as she pulled the trigger, the gun still pointed at Hikaru. 

"Hikaru!" Duo ran up and pushed her, both of them falling to the floor, dodging the bullet. 

"Shimatte. I never miss my target! Just for that I'll have to shoot you." Hikaru blinked and stood up with Duo, and moved in front of him. 

"Dont shoot him!" she yelled.   
"Damnit Hikaru, get out of here before you get hurt, baka!" Duo pushed Hikaru out of the way as the female oz officer pulled the trigger on her gun again, shooting Duo in the chest. 

"Ugh..." Duo put his hand to his chest and glared at the female officer, taking a step towards her. 

"Fool, your supposed to DIE!" The officer shouted. Slightly taken aback. 

"Duo..." Hikaru blinked, and as the events slowly came to her, she screamed and raised her hands above her head, palms facing eachother. 

"_You who wishes against the purity of life...."___

"What's that?" The female officer blinked as a spark flickered between Hikaru's hands. 

"_Find the pain you have induced in the depth's of hell..."___

"...Hikaru..." Duo's face turned to her, as he fell to the ground, still conscious, but too weak to stand, a blood puddle forming on the floor. 

"_BY RIGHT OF THE PHEONIX'S FLAME, FlARE ARROW!" _Hikaru screamed and flames errupted around her hands, which formed into a ball and shot out to the three standing and two fallen officers, enveloping them in flames and burning them into ashes, but not harming anything else touching it. 

"...Hikaru." Duo closed his eyes. 

"Duo!" Hikaru ran over to him and crumbled to the floor, turning Duo onto his back and putting his head on her lap.   
  
"You'll be okay, okay? Just rest..." Hikaru's voice shook. 

Duo smiled, weakly. One hand still on his bleeding chest, the other moving to Hikaru's face. "You really shouldn't try to be so...heroic." 

"Hypocryte", Hikaru commented.   
  
"...I...'ll....just sleep a bit." Duo closed his eyes and let his free hand fall onto the floor, beginning to slumber. 

"...I was so scared." Hikaru whispered. One hand brushing Duo's bangs away from his eyes, and the other one clutching her shirt over her heart. 

_How to make Duo live through this...?___

_--End of Part Seven--___

~.~ I do not take flames, and oohh...I know somebody's gonna kill me for the ending of this part. 

x.x Of course, Chrissy's happy now. 


	10. Steel Hearts, Chapter Eight

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Eight   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Really?! You got a message from Duo, Quatre?" Umi jumped up in excitement. "They're okay?! Tell me they are! Say they are! Please!"   
  
"Er...Hai, they are. And that's why we're searching for them in these gundams."   
"...Will you two stop chatting over the intercom? We're supposed to be searching for Duo." Heero's voice unemotionally broke up the conversation.   
"...Why exactly did I have to ride with him?" Umi sighed and sat back down.   
  
"Gomen nasai, Umi, but you are much better around strangers than I." Fuu spoke, sitting next to Quatre in Sandrock.   
"Why couldnt I have just gone with Wufei?"   
"...Are you saying you like him?" Fuu questioned.   
A huge blush spread over Umi's face. "N-no!"   
"Right..." Fuu had a small smile on her gentle face. "I'll have to explain this to Hikaru."   
"ACK! NO!" Umi shouted.   
"Do I really need to ask again?" Heero spoke. 

Beep, Beep, Beep! Quatre's face lit up. "Found them!" He moved his gundam in after locked onto the damaged Deathscythe. His Gundam landed and Quatre climbed off it, and Fuu jumped down, Quatre catching her, as the same thing occured with Heero and Umi. 

"Okay, now I assume that they would be at the farmhouse near here like Duo said." Quatre smiled and began to walk in front of the others towards the faint farmhouse in the distance. 

. . . 

"Duo..." 

What was that voice? 

"Duo! Don't make me hit you! Wake up! Please!" 

But he was so tired... 

"Come on! You can't leave me and the others!" 

The pain though... 

"Please?" 

But, the pain...he could escape it if he lost consciousness again. 

"Duo!" 

A small drop of something cold hit his face. ....What was that? Another one fell. 

"C'mon...don't go...." 

Tears? 

"C'mon...stay with me...and the others." 

Yeah, that was it. Whoever-it-was was crying. 

"Duo Maxwell! Wake up before I slap you! Im not gonna let you die!" 

He didnt want to open up his eyes just yet. He felt to weak to even twitch. But he wasnt so weak as so he couldn't listen. The voice, it was female, and it was shaking as it made that exclamation. 

He heard the door open before he lost consciousness for the second time, even though Hikaru couldnt have told from the stillness of his form. 

. . . 

"Hello? Excuse me for intruding...Hikaru? Duo? Where are y---" Quatre stopped at the doorway as he saw the blood trail on the floor, the ashes, and a crying Hikaru with Duo laying there, his head in her lap. 

"He's dying...dying...dying...dying...dying...going to be just like my family..." He heard Hikaru say. Fuu ran to Duo, and began to try to cast a healing spell. 

Umi and Heero snaked through the doorway, and Heero stopped at the doorway, to watch what was happening, Umi stood in front of him, for a moment, before turning to being beside Quatre. 

"Damnit, if only our magic would goddamn work here..." 

Hikaru opened her eyes after hearing Umi. "That's it!" 

"What's it? And dont talk when your crying." 

"Shut up. What I meant was..." She stopped to sniffle. "When I got mad or determined enough here, I could use my powers. I just realized that." 

"Then...we can use them here? But we tried to before...it never worked..." 

"Maybe because we weren't determined or strong enough?" Fuu cut in, beginning to cast a healing spell on Duo. 

"You wont let him die will you?" Hikaru looked up at Fuu. Fuu shook her head, as she would never do such a thing. Umi sat down next to Hikaru and put her hand on Hikaru's shoulder, whispering to her that it would be okay. Hikaru, still crying, told Umi what happened from the moment they disappeared with Deathscythe to where Quatre burst through the door. 

"Oh my..." Umi hugged Hikaru. "It's okay, okay?"   
A sniff was heard, and then like a child, Hikaru wailed and swung her arms around Umi, bursting out with tears. "I thought he was gonna die!" 

Heero shook his head. "You think a gundam pilot would die?"   
"Mortals are mortals." Umi snapped at Heero, not wanting him to talk coldly at Hikaru.   
"You say that like you aren't one."   
"Maybe im not?" Umi said sarcastically, then turned her face back to the weeping Hikaru. "Shh...shh...it's okay..." She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the healing Duo in the corner of her eyes. _You bastard! How could you make Hikaru cry?!_ It wasn't really his fault...but still! 

Fuu finished her healing spell, and faced the others with the results   


--I know this is too soon to end this part, but Im doing it to annoy a certain person who hates cliffhangers and wants me to hurry up and finish this fic...you know who you are. >=D...XD-- 

@.@ Should I write this more romantic?  
More funny?  
More serious?  
Turn it into a sad fic?  
Keep it like it is?   
...I dunno..@.@....most likely keep it like it is.   
  



	11. Steel Hearts, Chapter Nine

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Nine   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"He's okay. He just needs to rest for a day or two." Fuu smiled. The others sighed in relief.   
"Really?" Hikaru stood up, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Good!" She hugged Fuu. "Thank you, Fuu!"   
"You are quite welcome, Hikaru!" Fuu said. 

"Everybody nice, everybody nice, believe in the shining of tomorrow..." Hikaru hummed as she left the farmhouse, shutting the door behind her. The others blinked and stared at one another. 

Umi shook her head and smiled. "Well, we know Hikaru's gonna be fine, and that Duo's gonna be fine. So what do we do now?" 

"We need to get out of here before Oz detects us. We have to get into the gundams now." Quatre said.   
They left the farmhouse as well, after Heero had picked up Duo, rather carelessly draping him over his shoulder. 

When the pilots gundams came into view, Hikaru was sitting on Deathscythe, smiling, holding a wrench and in the other hand a toolbox. "I fixed Deathscythe!" 

"How exactly?" Heero said, unemotionally. Hikaru stuck her tongue out, still smiling. 

"I looked in your gundam for the part I had melted...I didnt take anythin' important! I just took something and melded it to be what it needed..." Hikaru drifted off. "Anyways, lets go!" 

Quatre sweatdropped. "Why didnt you fix it before and have saved us the trouble from coming?"   
"Didnt you hear me? I needed some metal from one of YOUR gundams!" Hikaru nodded, and put the wrench into the toolbox, hopping down from the gundam. Then stopped abruptly as something just sliced a few hairs off the back of her head. "...Nani?" 

"HIKARU! LOOK OUT!" Umi screamed as an oz mobile suit stepped out from the trees, and a few oz officers beside it, stepping out from the bushes. 

"Damnit!" Heero put Duo down, and pulled out his gun, getting down and aiming at the oz officers, quickly picking them off as the others ducked. Then came the mobile suit, as it fired the group was seperated, but Quatre managed to get into Sandrock, and it started up. 

"We shouldn't be fighting...dont you understand that?" Quatre said, and fired, rendering the oz mobile suit useless. 

[Yes, that was my sad attempt at a quick fight. ~.~ So sue me. ~R.I] 

The others sweatdropped and stood up. "Ano...why're they so easy to beat?"   
"Well, they are, if there isnt a whole group of them." Quatre said, opening the hatch of sandrock, and guesturing for Fuu to step inside, which she did, and the hatch closed. "Let's get going." 

Heero and Umi went into Heero's gundam, and Hikaru dragged Duo into his. "Ano..I think I can manage to fly this thing...but...could ya mind telling me how?" 

Quatre instructed her on the basic ways to move deathscythe, and they quickly left the farmland, slowly making it back to the underground base. 

. . . 

They had placed Duo on a bed, taken care of everything else, and now was free time...Hikaru had decided to sit on Duo's bed and watch him. 

She poked his nose. It twitched. She poked his cheek, his head tilted. This was getting a little fun tormenting Duo in his sleep, before Fuu took her out of the room for Duo to get some _peaceful_ rest. 

Fuu shut the door quietly, and Hikaru crossed her arms. "There's nothing else to do but wait for him to wake up. Why cant I wait in there?" 

"...Hikaru, I've been meaning to ask you something." Fuu said, her voice serious.   
Hikaru was taken aback. "Er...What is it?"   
"You like him, don't you?"   
"....Who?"   
"Duo."   
Hikaru looked scared for a moment, then held her sides and laughed outrageously. "Bwuahahahahaha! You're kiddin' me, right? I don't love him."   
"You seem to be lying whenever you say that." Fuu said, not blinking.   
"You love Quatre, right?" Hikaru asked, trying to change the subject.   
She succeeded. "H-Hai.." Fuu blushed.   
"Why don't you tell him?"   
"I...I'm to embarrassed...."   
"Awh, C'mon! You can do it Fuu!" Hikaru clapped her hands together, and grinned widely.   
"B-but...I dont know what I'd say to him..." Fuu poked her fingers and drifted into silence as Hikaru walked away. 

Fuu blinked as she noticed Hikaru was gone. "Oro?" 

. . . 

To be continued. o.O......   


--The end of part nine, see ya at part ten!-- 

Duo: ......   
Hikaru: .....   
Author: ....What? o.O?   
Hikaru & Duo: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US?! 

Fuu: Author-san..Arigatou!   
Quatre: *hugs Author-san* Make her admit it next time!  
Author: ....oo;;; Riiiight... 


	12. Steel Hearts, Chapter Ten

Steel Hearts Ten....the heart bleeds black.

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Ten   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Three days had passed, and another mission had come up.

Professor J stared at Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and the gundam pilots (minus Duo.) grimly, and spoke with a solomn voice. "This will hopefully be the last mission that we ever have to do. The final one." Hikaru blinked.

"You can't do it though! A final mission would be pretty tough, right? Doesn't that mean you need Duo?" Hikaru questioned. Professor J shook his head.

"There isn't time. We will...however," The professor looked at the three magic knights, "need your cooperation and help to complete it." They looked at eachother, then at the gundam pilots who stared at them intently, waiting for their answer.

They faced Professor J and nodded in unison. He nodded back, and briefed them on the mission. It would be very tough, requiring everyone to cooperate and not to argue. They had to do whatever was recquired. While Hikaru, Fuu, Umi, Quatre, and Trowa distracted the officials, Wufei would take care of the gaurds outside so that Heero could get into the place and get into one of the computers, then, while saving data from one of the computers, Hikaru, Fuu, Umi, Quatre and Trowa would place tiny, but powerful explosives around the place. Then all would have to quickly get out, for Wufei would be waiting to push the button to explode everything.

"That means we get to wear nice clothing, right?" Umi squealed. "Oooohh!!! Im picking out the clothing!"

The pilots and two magic knights sweatdropped immensly, and hoped it just wasnt anything too frilly.

. . . 

Quatre blinked as he and the others came out of the dressing rooms, prepared for the mission they hoped would be their final one.

Umi squealed in delight. "Yay! Perfect! Now, come on Fuu, Hikaru! Im going to dress you two up now!" She ushered the two girls into the room that the gundam pilots had been in.

After an hour or so, the three finally came out, Umi grinning widely, from sheer success at having dressed everyone so wonderfully. 

The pilots stared as Umi and Fuu curtsied. Hikaru decided to just do something different, and bowed. Quatre stepped forward, and took Fuu's hand, bowing. "Fuu...you...you look so b-.....beautiful." A blush spread over his cheeks, and Fuu had a rather nice looking pink shade across her cheeks.

Umi looked expectantly at Wufei, who coughed, refusing to blush, and held out his hand to Umi. "You look...nice, Onna." Wufei said, though as he tried, no hint of malice came out. Hikaru smiled friendly, and held out her hand to Trowa.

"We're all pairing up for the ride, so, just for fun." Hikaru tilted her head, keeping her smile.

. . . 

They had arrived and Trowa, Umi, Fuu, Quatre, and Hikaru had went into the builting while Wufei stayed behind, and Heero entered, though snuck off as soon as he was allowed entry. Umi had managed to catch Treize's attention, so he would not notice Heero as he snuck off, and so he would not view Quatre and Trowa as familiars he had seen somewhere before. Hikaru had come across a mound of younger officers and had become the center of their attention, them complimenting her continuously in between lines of discussion on the way a mobile suit should work. Fuu was talking away with an older group of oz members, them admiring her beauty and intelligence of matters they had, before talking to her, dubbed before her. Trowa was sitting at a table, surrounded by young girl officers chatting away at him, none caring to notice that he said nothing in reply. Quatre was talking to Lady Une. All secretly placed the tiny explosive pieces around the areas they passed.

Hikaru looked out at the sky. "It's raining so hard..." One of the young men smiled at her charmingly as she murmured those words.

"Does rain affect your emotions?" He asked. Hikaru shook her head.   
"No, no. It just feels like something bad is going to happen tonight." Unfortunately, she knew. All these seemingly nice people going to die or become seriously injured... she immersed herself in guilt for a moment, before snapping back into reality as several of the officers asked to dance. She blinked, and shook her head.

"Ano...Im not a good dancer." Hikaru bowed her head. One of the officers grinned, and took her hand, grinning.

"You can't lie, now." That voice! Hikaru's eyes widened at seeing violet eyes peaking out of long chesnut brown bangs. He put a hand at the back of her waist, and raised the hand he had in his, sliding her off to the large area for dancing, already occupied by many couples, but still enough room for many more.

Hikaru lowered her voice to a whisper. "Duo, what are you doing here?!"   
Duo's grin didnt move. "Im dancing with you."   
"I can see that, but _-why-_, and _-how-_?!"   
"I couldn't very well let all the oz guys have the fun of seeing you and the other two dressed up! I'm well enough to do some things already."   
"Like get dressed." Hikaru murmured, but smiled a little, admitting that she was...at least, a _little_ happy Duo had managed to come. Okay, a lot. They glided over the floor.

"Were you briefed on the mission?" Hikaru whispered.   
Duo nodded, and they both looked as Fuu, dancing with an older man out of respect for him, poked them and then gave them the hand guesture that meant that they had finished placing the explosives. The two nodded and guestured back that they had finished theirs, and they glided to the others, doing the same to them in turn. All had finished, and so they had to quickly get out...but...

Duo stopped as they began to glide off the dance floor, the dance had ended, and a new one had begun. Hikaru let go of him and began to gracefully leave without being noticed, but Duo gently grasped her wrist and twirled her back into him, and stepped back onto the dancing area. "Just one last dance." He whispered into her ear, his breath felt as it went past it. Hikaru nodded, though what he had said had not been a question.

Duo's arms lowered so that both were around her waist, and Hikaru's had stayed, one on his shoulder, and the other resting on one of his arms. "We really should get going, Duo--" She stopped talking as Duo's face came extremely close to hers.

"Shh...I just want...one last dance." Duo murmured, pulling her close.   
Hikaru sighed, Duo was probably acting like this because of some medicine he had been given to let him rest easier...probably. The dance eventually ended, and the closeness of their bodies ceased, Hikaru walking Duo off the floor, and both making it out of the building quickly, they met the others at the rendeivous point, and kept going. Wufei was prepared to press the button, but Heero hadn't made it back yet. What could have happened?

Too late, they didnt mention this to Wufei in time. He pressed the button, and the house exploded, debree coming down like rain...and they left. All guessing that Heero had made it out another way.

. . . 

"..." Duo dropped his pen from writing. Fuu put a hand over her mouth, Umi let out a gasp, Hikaru stood there and stared, Wufei clenched his fists, Quatre did the same, and Trowa did the same as Hikaru. Professor J looked at them unemotionally.

Heero hadn't made it out.

He was dead. The perfect soldier. Gone.

--End of Part Ten: The heart bleeds black.-- 


	13. Steel Hearts, Chapter Eleven (I didnt th...

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Eleven   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"You can't be serious. You're just joking, right?" Hikaru said uncertainly. It had to be a joke, right? He couldn't be...dead, could he? A lie or joke... a lie or a joke, that's what it had to be, a lie or a joke. Sadly, Professor J shook his head, and Hikaru's legs gave way, but Duo caught her. 

"Hikaru, it's okay...he...died, for a good cause."   
"But...someone died...and we knew him...and...my family died too...and..." Hikaru whispered _his_ name. Duo felt anger brush through him. How could she think of Lantis? They had gotten rid of him...or was their still a small mark of pain in her from it?   
  
Hikaru's body began to shake, and she brought her hands up in front of her face. "Lots of people I try to make friends with die..lots of people I care about have died...if I stay...what if Duo dies...or Fuu...or Umi...or Quatre...or Wufei, or Trowa?" A few tears escaped down to the floor inbetween her fingers. Duo's hold on her tightened instinctively, and then picked her up so so that he could carry her. 

"Hikaru, that's nonsense. You don't wanna leave us...here, I'll calm you down..." His soothing voice calmed her a bit. 

"Yeah, Duo, you do that. And..." Umi looked up to Fuu, her voice lowering. "Hikaru's becoming weaker than normal...something has to be bothering her, or else she wouldn't show so much weakness in front of us." 

Trowa nodded silently, then spoke up. "But what do we do now? This can't be our last mission, we'd have needed...the information Heero had for us to stop fighting." 

Professor J wore a grim expression on his face. "Yes. We'll have to plan another move. Oz security will now be even harder to get through, because of the last failed mission." 

"Shouldn't we plan this with Hikaru and Duo here?" Fuu asked.   
Professor J shook his head. "We can brief them with it later, once Hikaru's calmed down." 

. . . 

Hikaru walked beside Duo, staying close to him. "Duo..." She finally spoke up.   
"Yeah?"   
"...Remember Cephiro?"   
"Yes. Why?"   
"...Did you want to kill Lantis?"   
Duo stopped walking and stared at Hikaru. "Of course!"   
"...Why?"   
"Because anyone that hurts you can go to hell or die a thousand deaths."   
"You could have died."   
"Did you forget something? I'm Shinigami...Death can't die." Duo flashed the same smile he had done when they first met.   
"I remember...when we met we fought alot at first." Hikaru smiled weakly. "We're...friends...though, right?"   
"Of course." Duo said, _Although I wish I was more than that to you,_ he didn't say.   
Hikaru looked down. "Okay..." She didn't seem assured by that thought.   
  
Duo just couldn't help it. Seeing her like this, he just wanted her to stop getting hurt so easily, he had to ask. "What's wrong? There has to be something making you get hurt so easily..."   
"...I..." Hikaru didn't look up from the ground. Maybe...maybe...A ray of hope gave Hikaru warmth. Maybe if she hinted it to him..."I love someone...and...he doesn't love me back..." She wasnt looking up, so she didn't see the violet light in Duo's eyes die out. "He's nice...and sweet...but...he doesn't love me." 

...Hikaru was admitting that she loved someone, and it wasn't him...Duo took a step closer to Hikaru. "I'll..." He couldn't believe he was going to do this..."I'll help you win him...whoever he is...but..." Duo tried his best for the pain in his heart not to come out in his voice.   
"But?" Hikaru finally looked up at him, her back to the wall of a building. Her eyes without hope, because he didn't understand, letting all her greif and pain show, for once.   
Duo blinked and shook his head. He couldn't bear seeing her like that...even...an angry face would be better than her in pain..."But...you have to let me do one thing..."   
"And that...is...?"   
Duo took one step closer to her, and put his hands on her shoulders, leaning in and gently pressing his lips against hers.   
Hikaru was so suprised she didn't even move. He was kissing her...he was kissing her...he was kissing her! 

Duo removed his lips from her and whispered in her ear, a tiny spark of greif in them. "...Don't hate me...and...let me love you." 

Hikaru's eyes went wide in realization of what he said. The light that was usually in her eyes returned, and she let out a laughter filled with happiness and relief. 

She was laughing...? Why would she be laughing? Duo blinked. Hikaru's arms snaked around his neck. "Duo no baka...I love you...I was saying that...hoping you would understand that." 

Duo smiled happily, and from the admitting of feelings, couldn't help but kiss his love again. Almost like in a drunken stupor, when the kiss ended they both laughed and began to walk back to the base. Both still missing their deceased friend, but knowing that he was okay. 

Now, if only they knew what the next mission would cause them... 

--End of Part Eleven!-- 

Dang..this is getting LONGER and LONGER, aint it? o.o;; ^_^ Hope the mushiness was okay...even though I almost vomited writing it. ^^; Its nice...but writing so much mushiness in one swoop is...@.@ oi!   
Well, write ya later! ^_^ Bai! 


	14. Steel Hearts, Chapter Twelve

Steel Hearts Twelve: Another Death

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Twelve (Dang, this is getting LONG!)   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Fuu shook her head. "No, no, that doesn't give us enough time to escape."   
"No...It would give us enough time to escape...but for that time, someone would have to stay there..." Wufei said, then drifted off. Professor J nodded.   
"That seems the only way we can do it and have the rest of us living." 

"But...who has to stay behind?" Fuu said shakily, one of her hands wrapping around one of Quatre's. The door opened, and through it, the two that had been missing, stepped in. 

"Back!" Said Hikaru cheerfully. Duo nodded, smiling. Both unsuspecting of what the mission would have to be. 

Professor J turned and briefed them on it. 

. . . 

"..." Hikaru looked at the rest of them. "But...Heero already died...isn't that what the person who stays behind has to do? To give up their life?" 

The others didn't say anything. Hikaru's face paled slightly, her voice rising. "To give up their lives for the rest of us, who are to scared to die? You can't make us do this kind of mission...it isn't RIGHT!!!" She yelled. 

Duo put his arms around Hikaru. "Shh...Calm down." Hikaru blushed, but quieted.   
"But...still..it isn't right."   
  
Fuu's mouth opened, but Quatre took a step forward before she could. He looked up at Professor J, then looked at the rest of them. He found his voice. "...I...will stay there." 

Professor J nodded before the others could say no. Fuu's face seemingly filled with dispair, and ran out the door with a wail, "NO!" 

The door slammed shut, and the others winced at the sound it made. "...Fuu..." Umi put a hand over her heart, and clenched it into a fist. "This isn't right! Quatre, how could you? You know she's in love with you!" 

Quatre looked at the wall. "I knew that if I didn't, she would have volunteered. You all know she would have...and I don't want her to die." 

And so...they all, sadly commenced with the mission... 

. . . 

"Alright! Trowa, Quatre, plug the explosive in! Put it the the maximum time limit before going off! Quickly!" They all heard Professor J say through the intercom connected to the gundams from their base. 

Heero's gundam hadn't been used the last mission, and so, since Quatre had been teaching her with Sandrock, Fuu was controlling Heero's. 

"Great work, Fuu!" Quatre said to her, trying to be cheerful.   
"..." All they heard was a sob through the intercom.   
  
Hikaru looked to Duo from inside Deathscythe. "...This is..so..wrong...she's crying through this mission."   
"...It's the only way to do this, though."   
"..." Hikaru didn't reply to that. 

Oz had called reinforments to protect the main base, the main leaders had evacuated, but had not had the time to take anything that would allow them to start up their Oz group again. They were winning! This might be their last mission...forever. 

They were all happy about this, except for the one small fact....Quatre. 

It came time, the gundams all had to escape now, except for Quatre, who had fight the oz mobile suits by himself to make sure they wouldn't follow the rest of them and live to continue on oz. But...one extra gundam stayed behind. 

"HEAVYARMS! GET OUT OF THERE!" Yelled Hikaru. "WE DONT NEED TWO DEATHS!" She cried. 

"...Quatre, you love someone, so you live...I'll die." Said the soft-spoken Trowa.   
"No, I said I would, no one else has to die."   
"I will do it." Heavyarms hit Sandrock. "Now go before I fire at you to get you to leave!" 

And Sandrock left with the rest of them... 

Four Gundams looked back to see the oz's main base be destroyed. 

"...Q-Quatre...?" Fuu's voice said through the intercom.   
"...I'm here."   
"QUATRE!!!" Fuu's voice wailed, in happiness, and in pain from the loss of their friend Trowa.   
"...Trowa did it for us." Umi's voice came out through the intercom. "Because...none of us wanted to die."   
"..."   
A sob came from inside Deathscythe. "...Did he know? Did he do it because...he thought the rest of us loved another?" The sobbing voice asked. It was Hikaru. "Or...did he just do it because...Quatre and Trowa are friends...and Quatre was in love with Fuu...?" 

There was too much sadness for Quatre and Fuu to blush. All of them were silent. "Damnit..." Wufei's voice came out. "We shouldn't just feel sorry for ourselves and Trowa! Why do you think he died? He wanted us to live happy lives! You don't want to Trowa's wish and throw it away, do you? He died for us."   
  
The sobs from inside deathscythe stopped, and a cheerful Shinigami voice spoke. "Yeah! C'mon guys, greiving about him won't help anything. We can always remember him. To seal the promise of granting Trowa's wish..Quatre, Wufei, kiss your girlfriend!" Duo snickered, knowing that both would be blushing now, and leaned towards Hikaru, kissing her. 

Wufei did the same to Umi, though neither looked unhappy in doing so. And, obviosly, Fuu and Quatre landed their gundams, exited them, and ran out to eachother, embracing the other and pressing their lips together in a cheerful, truthful promise. 

They wouldn't let Trowa's death wish go unnoticed. 

---End of Part Twelve-- 

Err...umm...DAMN, im making these REALLY bad aren't I? x.x but didja like how Trowa died? *.* I gave him a nice death... 

>_> anyways... 

I know, I know. ~_~ It goes a little mushy here on, but i'll try to make it more funny than mushy! x.X AND i think the series is getting dorky..@.@...Maybe if I make a third series I could make it better. La la la la la...*begins to plot* Heeeheee... 


	15. Steel Hearts, Chapter Thirteen

Steel Hearts Thirteen

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Thirteen   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"So...that was the last battle." Duo said as they journeyed back to their base. They'd remain normal...and embrace Trowa and Heero in their hearts.   


[*Gags and dies* Okay..so that sounded corny..I DONT CARE! x.x ~R.I.] 

  
"YIPEEEEE!!!" Yelled Hikaru, giving everyone an earache through the intercom.   
"YECK! Hikaru! Not so loud! My poor ears!" Umi yelled at her.   
"Aw, c'mon, that was the last battle! It's time for some fun!" Duo cheered.   


"Hey, Quatre and Fuu have been awfully silent." Umi pointed out.   
Duo grinned. "That's because they're trying to be quiet so we don't know what they're doing--"   
"DUO MAXWELL!!!!!"   
"ACK! Hikaru! Get off!"   
"Well at least THAT shut you up!"   
"FUU AND QUATRE ARE HAVING FUN!!!"   
"DUO SHUT UP WILL YOU?!" Hikaru yelled. 

"No we aren't." Chorused Fuu and Quatre.   
  
"Yeah...right..." Duo said, Hikaru was still trying to shut him up by yelling, so he bent over to her and silenced _hikaru_, pressing his lips against hers in a shushing kiss. 

Hikaru blushed brightly. That shut her up for the rest of the way back. 

. . . 

"We're baaaack!" Duo said as they came into the base, welcomed by Dr. J. 

"Job well done." Dr. J said, and asked Wufei for a summary of what happened in the mission. 

  
"Ah..I see...very well then." Dr. J turned and left them. "Oh, you can all have a good sleep and some fun now...you are free from fighting now." 

Duo put his two hands on Hikaru's hips, held her up and swung her around. "Yipee!!!" Quatre smiled at Fuu, who smiled back. Wufei and Umi held hands behind everyone else. 

. . .   


  


"Hey, Hika-chaaaan...." Duo whispered to Hikaru. She was asleep, and he was trying to wake her up. It was late, which would mean...the perfect time for a romantic setting! Duo grinned and bent over the redhead's slumbering form, kissing her. 

_That_ woke her up. Her garnet-red eyes fluttered open and blinked a few times. Duo broke the kiss and stood up, smiling. "Good evening, Hika-chan." 

"Hmmm? Duo...what is it?" Hikaru sat up in bed, wearing a white longsleeved shirt, the wrist of the sleeves unbuttoned, and only one button done up on her shirt, so that nothing was showing. 

"Well, since we don't have to fight anymore...I thought this'd be the perfect time to go out and have some fun. Lots of people go out on dates at this time of night!" Duo said. 

Hikaru looked at the clock. "At 10 o'clock most couples are out of their beds and partying? Well...that's normal. I thought it was past twelve." 

Hikaru grabbed a skirt and put it on, and changed shirts. Duo blushed immensly. 

"...D-DUO!!! You're supposed to turn around!" Hikaru growled, blushing. 

"Well, you could warn me!" Duo said, and finally did turn around.   
  
"It's too late now, im done changing!" Hikaru grabbed Duo's hand and dragged them out of the base. "So where'd you want to take me?" 

A smile was back on Hikaru's face, and Duo smiled back. He got a taxi (dont ask.) and they went to a harbor. They stood on a bridge overlooking the sea. 

"Wow...it's so beautiful..." Hikaru whispered. Duo put his arms around Hikaru, hugging her from behind. 

"Not as beautiful as you." Duo whispered into her ear. Hikaru leaned her head back into Duo and smiled gently. 

"Ai Shiteru, Duo."   
"What does that mean?"  
"It's japanese for I love you, Duo..." Hikaru giggled. Duo's hold tightened slightly, not wanting to ever let go of this wonderful...feeling...and someone that he had found. 

"Well then, Ai Shiteru, to you, too, Hika-chan." 

--End of part thirteen-- 

Hika: O.O URESHII YO!!!! KAWAIII!!!!   
Ranma Inverse: .;;;   
Duo: Ai shiteru hika-chan, Ai shiteru hika-chan...AI SHITERU, HIKA-CHAN!!   
Ranma Inverse: You sound like your saying To be or not to be, o.O;   
Duo: ¬_¬ Shut up. 


	16. Steel hearts, Chapter Fourteen

SteelHeartsFourteen

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Fourteen   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Authors note: Anyone..tell me if you want me to end the fanfic series sadly, or happily...tell me, or it might end up the way you don't want it_. _If I end it sadly, you tell me if you want me to write an amending the sadness third series, or if I end it happily..whether or not you want me to write a third fanseries for this.___

-- 

Meanwhile, as Duo and Hikaru spent their time on that bridge... 

Fuu stared at the wall in a chair beside her desk. She did not blink nor move...she was too deep in thought to do anything. Quatre walked past her room, with it's door wide open, and he looked through. 

"Fuu?"   
No reply.   
"Fuu?" He now stood in front of her, leaning close into her face.   
No reply at first, then a slow blink and Fuu acknowledged his presence. 

"Quatre?"   
"Are you okay?"   
"...I am fine." Fuu's eyes went to her lap. Quatre took her hands from were they rest on her lap and brought them to his lips, kissing them gently. His eyes shining gently with his love.   
"You don't seem fine, Fuu." Fuu looked up into his eyes at this statement. Then she turned her head.   
"I....I was just thinking..." A small tear at the edges of each of her green eyes threatened to fall. "..about...if Trowa hadn't saved you." 

Quatre shook his head, smiling sadly. Fuu stood up to get a tissue to wipe away her tears, but as she began walking to the table, Quatre wrapped his arms around her from behind in a warm and firm embrace. "Quatre..." 

"Fuu, you don't have to ever worry about anything like that. I'll always be here for you."   
"And...I...for you." Fuu smiled and leaned back into him. There the two stood for a moment, then Fuu spoke up. 

"Would you like to take a walk, Quatre? I do believe the stars outside today will be shining brightly..."   
"Thanks to Duo and Hikaru." Quatre murmured.   
"Hm?"   
"Oh!" Quatre smiled, letting go of Fuu, "I was just thinking of how Duo and Hikaru are to us. Hikaru was the hope in your team in Cephiro...and Duo was the hope of the team here."   
Fuu nodded. "And we followed their trail of hope."   
"Hope...what a wonderful word."   
Fuu nodded and took his hand, leading him outside. They walked through the now mostly empty streets. 

They almost past a bridge when they noticed the two standing there on it, looking out. "Look, it's Hikaru and Duo!" She exclaimed in a whisper. Quatre nodded. 

"Yes, that's Duo and Hikaru...we should not disturb them. They look too happy being together to interrupt." Quatre whispered back. Fuu shook her head, her eyes twinkling--twinkling? 

"Why not a double date?" Fuu giggled. She began to walk towards the braided couple...when a loud noise of a truck came by. Quatre's eyes widened. 

"FUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

--End of Part Fourteen -The almost-shorter-than-the-shortest-part-in-the-first-series.-- 

_ Cliffhangers...I love them. =D They irritate my friend so... 


	17. Steel Hearts, Chapter Fifteen

SteelHeartsFifteen

**Steel Hearts**   
Part Fifteen   
By Ranma Inverse

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Author's note: Yes, yes, Catherine, Dorothy, Hilde, and etc. haven't been forgotten. They each get a side story of their own. -.-; Just wait until the end of this series! Sorry for taking so long to write part fifteen. T.T I had no idea to write what next.   
  
  


"FUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Duo and Hikaru heard the scream and looked back to see Fuu manage to escape a passing truck. Fuu fell to the ground at Hikaru's feet and stayed there until Hikaru helped her up. "Fuu, are you alright?!" She and Quatre asked, as he made his way to the three. 

Fuu nodded. "That was a close one. I am sorry." Quatre, Hikaru, and Duo sighed in relief. Quatre hugged her. 

"Don't scare me like that..." Quatre and Fuu looked to Hikaru and Duo, who were grinning. 

"So you two are finally admitting you're a couple in front of other people..so, whens the marraige?" Duo teased. The blonde couple blushed. Quatre stammered. 

Hikaru smiled warmly. "All of you know christmas is in a couple days...right?" 

Three faces fell to the ground. They hadn't noticed. 

. . . 

Hikaru wrapped up her presents that she had bought for everyone, meanwhile Umi and Fuu paced around at the other end of the room, unable to see the presents for them until they were wrapped. 

"I don't know what I could give Wufei.."   
"I don't know what to give Quatre.." 

Hikaru finished wrapping them and looked at the others. "You don't _have_ to give them a present bought with money...you could just give them..." She thought. "The night of their life..." 

Umi and Fuu blushed over seven shades of red and their eyes widened at Hikaru. "You know about that sort of thing?!"   
"Not really, but someone told me once that it's something you do with someone you love...what is it?" Hikaru tilted her head. 

Umi and Fuu instructed her on the information that most children learn from their friends or their parents. 

[So sue me. o.o; Im kidding..don't really..NO, NO!!!! I DONT HAVE THE MOONNEEEY!! ! T.T~RI] 

. . . 

Meanwhile with Quatre, Wufei, and Duo in a similar state, but with Quatre being the one with everything already prepared. He sweatdropped. 

Both Quatre and Hikaru told the others they would help them shop for their presents, to the relief of all. 

"I think that he'd like...this!" Umi pointed to it. Hikaru and Fuu tilted their heads in contemplation. "Another pink shirt for Quatre?" 

"Uhm...I don't think he needs another one." 

"Yeah...I guess not." Umi sweatdropped, and smiled foolishly. Fuu clapped her hands. 

"I know what we could get them! And...I have another idea, as well!" The red-haired and blue-haired girls looked up at Fuu. 

. . . 

Everyone had prepared, meanwhile the three magic knights had prepared something extra special. Eventually Christmas came. Duo was the first to wake up and get dressed. Instead of going to peek at the presents, he slipped quietly slipped into the girls sleeping area and carefully picked up a sleeping Hikaru, who was wearing a rather long, white nightgown. He quietly snuck out of the girls sleeping area with Hikaru, and shut the door with a quiet, almost inaudible click. 

Holding her gently in his arms, he smiled. Slowly, he lowered his head down and brushed her lips with his, then gave her a gentle kiss. Hikaru's eyes flew open and blinked, as Duo ended the kiss and winked at her, grinning. Hikaru blushed and spoke softly: "Good morning, Duo." 

"Good morning, Hikaru-chan." He whispered back and gently placed her on her feet. 

"I wouldn't mind waking up like that more often." Hikaru put a hand over her mouth in yawn and then looked to Duo, who was grinning-not an unsusual thing. He reached over to her and twirled her around, then pressing her to his chest in a tight embrace. 

"Good god, be mushy someplace where I don't have watch." Wufei's annoyed voice said sharply. The blue-haired knight poked her head out from the room the three girls slept in and grinned slyly, slightly goofily as she had recently woken up. 

"Ah-ah, Wuufeeii-chaaan. Why won't you do that to me?" She wrapped her arms around Wufei's neck and smushed her lips to his. Wufei blinked and looked up at the ceiling, blushing. 

They didn't stop until Duo spoke up. "Ah-hah! So you two ARE a couple. Good thing to know. You had me doubting that for awhile." 

Umi, who finally realized what she had, and was still doing while in her sleepy stupor, widened her eyes and shoved Wufei away from her, blushing several shades of deep reds. "Ah..ah...uhm...I WAS SLEEPY! I didn't do anything on purpose!" She crossed her arms. 

The chinese gundam pilot came up behind her and twirled her around and thrust his lips down to meet hers, picking her up off her feet. The kiss ended only when the pilot ran out of breath and the braided couple had begun to cheer, causing Quatre and Fuu to come out. 

"Ready for Christmas?" 

They all nodded. 

Hikaru smiled brightly and opened up the door to the rarely used since the three girls had came living room. It was decorated extravagantly, with special touches. There were tiny, plushy ornaments Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru had made of the three pilots. 

The magic knights rushed to a bucket full of glitter, picked it up, and threw the glitter out around the room and at the pilots. 

"Merry Christmas, Duo! Merry Christmas Wufei! Merry Christmas Quatre! No Humbugs for us!" They corused and giggled. 

"Merry Christmas for us!" They said and continued throwing the glitter of green, red, and gold. 


	18. THE AUTHOR NEEDS HELP!!!!

IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!

Heeeelp meeeee! T.T Please, please! I don't know how, I don't know why, but I got burnt out on this fic by the large ammount of bashings I was getting, and to try and douse the flames, I'm planning to revise all the chapters from the past, fixing all the plotholes and such (the plotholes that aren't going to be explained later..), stupid senseless spelling and grammar mistakes, etc... 

Anyway, I would appreciate it greatly if any parts you think should be fixed, adjusted, what doesn't fit, and so on. mei_of_maze@yahoo.com is the email to send all your helpful comments to, and the sooner I get this much needed help on revising this story, the sooner I'll finish revising, and the sooner I'll get the inspiration back for this fic to continue it from the chapters previously written. ^_^ 

Please, **_please_** **do not use this opportunity to tell me what couples you want in it. **I have them planned out already, and, I think that who the three magic knights get is obvious enough. And, by the way, all the female GW characters will get there own special sidestory as a hopeful apology for excluding them from this fic as if they don't exist. Hilde, Sally, Dorothy, Relena, Catherine, and yes, even Une. ^-^ The Une one will be quite interesting, I suppose..the Relena and Catherine ones will probably be depressing, but i'll try to make happy endings for them all. =D But, once again, do not tell me what couples you want in them. 

You can, however, after telling me what needs to be fixed, inform me of parts you really like, or something you think might be really good to put in this fic later on. 

I thank you, and I thank those who have kindly reviewed this fic, but, this poor author needs help right now! Will you lend a hand? 

I would be ever so grateful... 

(For those who are reading Moving On, yes, I've been getting beaten up for both of these stories..*cries* but Give Me A Reason and Steel Hearts were my treasures, my first real attempts at fanfics...my widdle babies..*hugs them* my first fics..) 


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